Restaurants›Lynora's Italian Restaurant›Grilled Romaine Recipe

Grilled Romaine Recipe

Inspired by Lynora's Italian Restaurant
Time30m
Serves2

Crispy pancetta, grape tomatoes, ricotta salata, lemon vinaigrette

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Ingredients

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Salad

Pancetta

Lemon Vinaigrette

Finish & Grill

Method

Pancetta

1

Crisp the pancetta

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and the pieces are crisp and browned, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat in the skillet (optional) and discard the rest.

Salad Prep

2

Prepare Romaine

Trim the base of each romaine heart and halve lengthwise to create 4 grilled quarters. Pat the cut surfaces dry with paper towels to encourage browning.

3

Tomatoes & Herbs

Rinse and dry the grape tomatoes; halve them. Roughly chop the parsley. Crumble or shave the ricotta salata and set aside.

Lemon Vinaigrette

4

Whisk together the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning; you want a bright, slightly tangy vinaigrette. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette to dress the tomatoes and the remaining to finish the grilled romaine.

Grilling & Assembly

5

Preheat Grill

Preheat an outdoor grill or cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat until hot (about 400°F / 200°C). Brush the cut sides of the romaine quarters lightly with the olive oil reserved for brushing.

6

Grill Romaine

Place romaine cut-side down on the hot grill or grill pan. Cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes, until nicely charred. Flip and grill the outer sides for 30–45 seconds just to warm through. Remove to a platter.

7

Dress Tomatoes

Toss the halved grape tomatoes with about 2 tablespoons of the lemon vinaigrette and a pinch of pepper.

8

Plate the Salad

Arrange the grilled romaine quarters on individual plates or a serving platter. Spoon the dressed tomatoes over and between the romaine pieces. Scatter the crisp pancetta and crumbled ricotta salata over the top. Sprinkle chopped parsley and the freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette lightly over the romaine to taste.

9

Optional Finish

Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side to squeeze over the salad if desired.